


Sweet as the Snow

by CyberSearcher



Series: Cryptid AU [6]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Blizzard!AU, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy and Sappy, M/M, Minor Injuries, No Nudity, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, so much, somewhat borderline smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:06:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyberSearcher/pseuds/CyberSearcher
Summary: Cole is happy, happier than he remembers being in along time. He could live in this moment, lying with his beautiful love forever.Forever is a long time.
Relationships: Cole & Zane (Ninjago), Cole/Zane (Ninjago)
Series: Cryptid AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752718
Comments: 33
Kudos: 80





	1. New River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after a new relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m putting this at M to be safe, this is the first time I’ve ever even written something that could be rated that. At least in terms of it being sexual. 
> 
> So, yea. Enjoy some really dense fluff. Complimentary dentists are at the ready.

Cole blinked and squinted at the sunlight that stung his eyes. It took him a moment to come down from the blissful fog of sleep, closing his mouth and swallowing the clammy taste in the back of his throat. Licking his lips, he brushed against cold fingers tracing his mouth.

Zane was watching him with shy eyes as he pulled his hand back from his face. Cole shook his head minutely and silently urged Zane to continue. 

He sighed happily as the other continued drawing patterns across his cheek. The cool touch nearly lulled him back to sleep, but the light from the sun forced him to stay awake. Under the blanket, Cole stretched his fingers and pulled his hand up from under stiff fabric and frost.

“Hi Zane.” He rasped, voice low and rumbling. 

The cryptid smiled, accompanied by a soft humming laugh. Cole could see his breath clouding, feel the soft touch of his fingers across his face. His second hand was splayed across his chest underneath the blankets. 

He reached under it to hold him. Cole closed his eyes and mapped out the new texture. There was still a good amount of ice, with sharpened tips that clung to his sweater. The teen simply followed the subtle bumps and divots between finger tip, joint and palm. 

Zane shivered beside him, making a strained sound as he pressed his face against the crook of his neck. Cole tilted his head. The cryptid stopped his petting to make a floaty, one handed gesture. 

He made a stroking motion mid air and patted his chest. 

“You like this?” Cole asked, now a bit more conscious of his movements. 

Zane nodded against his side. The humming had turned into a sound Cole could only describe as purring. He smiled and leaned against his silver forehead.

“Last night… about everything,” Cole stifled a small cough, “I don’t wanna be rude, but… were you serious? About you loving... me?”

Uncertainty hung thick in his voice, propped up by old memories and fears he didn’t care to touch. Zane sat up, watching him with brilliant blue eyes. Cole stopped himself from laughing at how deadpan he looked. 

The cryptid switched his position from lying at his side. Zane threw his leg across his thighs, straddling him with a calm and serious expression. His height was magnified and shaded him from the morning sun. Cole wanted to protest, even if he knew Zane probably didn’t understand the implications. 

His clawed hand raised to hold his chin, the pressure both feather light and vice. Zane flashed him another smile, tinted with mischief before he pulled at his collar.

For what was his second kiss, Cole was surprised with how fast Zane was to adapt. He was panting and breathless as the cryptid smoothed his hands across his shoulders and settled into his lap. 

Cole’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He mutely nodded and Zane looked smug. A rebuttal was sitting at his lips, then Zane started pressing more cold kisses across his cheek. 

“Ah, Zane, Zane wait.” 

The cryptid went stiff. Cole heard icicles bristle. He pressed his palm against the hand that framed his face. Rubbing circles against the ice, he pulled back so he could face him. 

“I just wanted to ask… is it alright if I can touch? And… do you know... what you’re doing?”

He was too embarrassed and far too pleased to ask if Zane even knew about sex. The cryptid only tilted his head, then made the same stroking motion before pressing a hand over Coles chest with a questioning look. 

“I do like this. But I don’t wanna, uh, just don’t take my clothes off. Okay?” 

Zane nodded slowly. Cole moved his hand so he could press a kiss against his palm. Zane shivered again. Grinning, he turned it over and blew a warm puff of air against his fingers before kissing each knuckle. 

The cryptid was purring again, pressing himself flush against his chest. Cole tilted his head back, letting Zane’s lips brush against the base of his neck. 

He felt the others free hand guide him to place his own on Zane’s hip. The perfect, smooth planes of ice contracted the fluffy layers of snow that settled across them both as they slept. Underneath that, Cole could feel his body humming alive against his fingertips. 

In a moment of insight, he noticed that in some places, he could feel skin. Pale and soft, a sharp contrast to the stark silver metal. 

Cole shoved that aside to massage his hips. Zane’s lips were cool and firm as they traced his throat with more kisses laced with frost and probes of his tongue. He arched and gasped, riding on a cloud of bliss. 

“Shit, Zane, where’d you learn that?”

He laughed, releasing his face and watched Cole relax again.

The cryptid looked so smug. He didn’t hesitate to blow another breath of hot air against his claws. Zane ducked his head against his shoulder and Cole continued to leave lingering kisses across his hand. 

Cole felt something chilling brush against his hip. He looked down to find Zane keeding the thick material of his sweater. His eyes gave him another worried look. Cole paused his teasing to let Zane have use of both hands. 

He leaned back just enough so he could gesture freely. Zane tapped at himself, made a holding out motion from his chest, then after a pause, reached out to gently trace a line down Cole’s cheek to where his skin disappeared under his collar. 

He swallowed. “You want to give… something to me.” 

Zane shook his head. He pointed to the hand at his own hip, now loosely curled across his back. 

Cole understood that, the intent was too clear. But he had trouble saying what Zane wanted. 

“You want me… all of me?” 

His smile was filled with so much relief and earnest love. Zane nodded. 

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Cole felt tears well and the cryptid brushed them away. “God, I can’t believe it. Your the first person who’s said that to me… in a long time.”

Zane closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against his. Cole sucked in a steady breath and gave him another soft kiss. 

“Yea, you can touch. I’m just not interested in the… messier parts this kinda leads in to. Do you know what that means? Uh, do you know what… what sex is?”

His cheeks were burning. Zane just gave him a confused squint. He pressed a hand over his heart and made the presenting motion again.

“I know you want this, I want this too. I’m just not interested in you reaching below here.” Cole gestured to himself for emphasis. “I like this, just... this.” 

Zane nodded slowly, pointing down, to his temple and then shaking his head. 

“You never thought about that?”

He nodded. 

“Oh.”

Cole laughed, Zane’s confused and prompting look just made him laugh harder. The cryptid narrowed his eyes and he pressed a palm over his mouth. 

“Sorry, sorry. I guess I’m just happy.” He confessed. 

Zane smiled again. Cole still flinched as cold fingers pushed up against his stomach. His touch was lingering as he brushed tense muscles. Cole pressed his hand harder against his mouth to muffle the broken sounds he made. 

“Zane - ah! - you’re amazing.” He moaned, reaching up to squeeze the back of his neck. 

He heard his humming stutter and stop. Looking up to him, the cryptid nuzzled his cheek and kissed the hand over his mouth. Cole lowered it and leaned heavily against the stone as Zane held him. 

Something told him to stop. Cole told that part of himself to fuck off. 

Zane gave a probing lick to his lips. The taste felt like heaven. 

“I love you so much.” 

“L-lov-ve C-cole.”


	2. Bitter Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole wakes up in the last place he expects to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun, thanks to ninja 2 electric boogaloo for beta-ing and the Discord for this idea. Only took me about a month to finish. ':D

Water was rushing past his face. 

Cole blinked, squinting through the fuzzy, distorted wall over his eyes. He felt light, almost giddy. There was nothing under his feet, yet he was standing over what felt like solid ground. 

The waterfall was gushing great waves of water, flowing down his hair and bare chest. The sound filled his ears, rushing, powerful yet melodic. It reminded him of a beating drum. 

He closed his eyes. Calm filled his veins and his shoulder dropped, letting the rapids flow over him. The waves massaged his muscles and melted away any semblance of tension. Cole felt himself lean further back into the waterfall. 

There was a breath of wind against this cheek. He laughed. Turning his head towards the sound, he felt the air tickle his skin and he smiled. 

The sounds around him grew softer, then crescendoed as the flow of water grew stronger. 

Cole slowly rocked on the ball of his heels, a soft smile played on his lips as he hummed some long-forgotten folk song in tune with the showering water. Raising a hand to his cheek, he could feel the phantom touch of icey fingers. 

He turned his head, brushing against something smooth and soft. Exhaling a happy sigh, Cole saw small curls of frost in the corner of his eye. 

Tendrils and rivers of cold snaked up his cheek, then down his shoulders and chest. There was a comfortable cool and slightly numbing sensation building in his fingertips. Cole reached over his heart and pretended to hold an imaginary hand. 

The frost followed the flow of water, condensing against his arms and legs. It grew thick, the pressure familiar despite the chill. Cole looked up and saw the water itself beginning to slow. 

He blinked, seeing flecks of white clinging to his eyebrows. Across his skin, the frost began to darken and grow heavier. The waves of water were replaced with a great curtain of ice, falling over his forehead and shoulders like a draping blanket. 

Cole exhaled. There was a tight feeling in his throat and chest. Cold hands folded against his neck and framed his face. The sounds around him grew misty in his ears and a fuzzy sensation laid itself across his body. 

The chill didn’t bother him. He sagged and wanted to fall backwards into the veil, but was held upright by the now frozen water. The ice grew heavier across his chest, pressing firm against numb skin. Cole closed his eyes. 

His mind was blank. All of his senses fell silent. Save for the softed sound of wind and the smell of clean air.

Then he wrinkled his nose as the acidrid scent of smoke burned into his mouth. 

Cole tried to step backward. He could feel the frozen curtain stretching itself across his cheek, then again as it began to recede. 

He tried to speak, to call out for something he didn’t know. There was a film of ice that cracked across his cheek, but his throat was suddenly filled with sand.

Cole coughed violently, shooting upward and holding his chest. Suddenly everything felt sticky and sweaty, his limbs were blocks of lead and his head was swimming through mud. 

“Z-Zane?”

“Cole! You asshole!”

He flinched hard as someone threw themselves against his sore chest. The darker teen looked down and saw Kai just as he pulled back from his hug. Jay and Nya were sitting by the foot of his bed with expressions between anger, concern and relief. 

“What the fuck? Where did you go? There’s a fucking blizzard and you decided now of all times to disappear on us?!” 

“I - what?”

“Didn’t you hear him, boulder brains?” Jay snapped, arms wrapped tight around Nya. 

Cole blinked, taking stock of his surroundings. He stopped himself from asking why or how he was back inside the monastery. Several of the bedsheets had been stripped and laid across him, with all the extra pillows supporting and framing his back and head. 

Then there was the feeling of something padded against his cheek. He reached to touch it, only to be met with centered pain that made him hiss and pull away. His entire body was coated with fluctuating, uncomfortable tingling. 

“Cole,” Nya said softly, “why didn’t you come home?” 

He was too stunned to speak. Too many questions flooded his mind; where was Zane? Did he know he was gone? Was he causing the blizzard? Did the others know? What happened while he was asleep? 

“Don’t give us the silent treatment.” Kai insisted. “I think we have the right to know after finding you half-frozen on the doorstep.”

“What?”

The fire ninja pulled at his hair. Jay rolled his eyes and Nya shifted in her seat.

Her fists were tight in her lap. “We went out to try and find you and when we came back… you were there a-and I thought you were-” 

Tears leaked past her eyes and she pressed the heels of her palms into her face. Jay ran a hand down her back and glared at Cole. 

“Did you really ditch us for some girl?” He asked. “Wow, even I can’t make a joke out of that.”

“Wait, slow down.” Cole pinched his eyebrows. “What girl? I - I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“You were talking in your sleep, about someone named Zane.” Kai said, crossing his arms. “Can’t believe you were smiling while you were practically frozen alive.” 

Cole dragged a hand through his hair, harsh breaths bringing pinpricks of pain. 

“What the hell is going on?” Kai asked. 

“Cole, just talk to us.” Nya said. 

“I… I can’t I-”

His heart was beating at his ribs like a caged bird. The others watched as he made an odd cracking motion in front of him, holding both pieces in front of him before his hands dropped to his lap. 

Cole wanted to cry, scream, to run out and see Zane again but the others formed a barrier around him that cut off any chance. Even then, there was part of him that knew running would make everything even worse. 

A soft creak disturbed the silence. 

“Students? Has he awoken yet?”

“Yea, he is.” Kai muttered. 

The Sensei had to awkwardly step between Kai and Jay, the former refusing to move from beside Cole. “How are you feeling?”

The earth ninja narrowed his eyes, unease was hanging thick in the air. “I’m not hurt. I - I’m alright. Just lost track of time.”

“You were found by your brothers just as this storm began.” He said. “Cole, is there something you want to tell us?”

“No… I’m sorry. But it’s complicated.” 

He couldn’t lie, not even if it was to protect Zane. He ducked his head, unable to meet the others' faces. Glancing up between his bangs, the teen was surprised when he saw Kai’s scowl start to soften. 

“Very well.” Sensei Wu stood. Cole tensed out of instinct. “After you recover, you are not to leave the Monastery. Not until it is safe for you to do so.” 

“What!”

He threw off his blankets and stood to full height. Cole resisted the urge to groan as his head swam at the sudden movement. The elderly master had to tilt his head up slightly, but his resolve didn’t waver. 

“It is clear that you are distracted. Furthermore, there is something malicious following you.”

“I knew it!” Jay shouted. “I told you, it’s the Birchwood Blizzard! I told you but did you listen, no you didn’t - ”

“Shut up.” He growled.

Cole was too angry to ask what Jay was talking about. And frankly, he didn’t care. Nya watched as the cup on the bedside drawer began to shake. 

“You can’t keep me in here.” 

Wu watched him with a careful gaze. “It is for your own safety. In the meantime, the others will attempt to find the source of this storm.”

There was no implication of a threat to anyone but Cole. His teeth were clenched so hard, he worried something would chip. Nails dug into his palms, sending flares up his arms that only fueled him.

“Get out.”

The other ninja looked surprised. 

“I said get out!” 

Cole fell back onto the bed, dragging his hand through his hair and trying not to cry. He heard the sound of quiet footsteps and the click of the door closing. But beside him, he felt the bed dip.

“Kai, would you quit being stubborn for just once in your goddamn life and leave me alone?” His voice cracked at the end of his plea. 

“Being stubborn is why I’m here at all.” He said. “I’m not leaving. Not… not like this. Not again.”

The smaller teen picked at his nails. Cole wanted to tell him to stop but couldn’t muster the effort. 

“Is this what you’ve been doing? Every time you get up and leave, I thought you just wanted some privacy to blow off steam. Did you just crawl into some cave and cry?”

He gave a bitter laugh. “More or less.”

“I’m so sorry, Cole.”

He blinked. This time, he turned and faced Kai proper.

His expression was solem and there was something behind his eyes that told Cole he was really being sincere. 

“I shouldn’t have been such an asshole to you. I just… I don’t know. But I should’ve known better. Hell, if I were in your shoes, I’d have thrown myself off this place at least ten times over. I’m sorry, I mean it.”

Cole gave a weak smile. “I can tell. Thank you, for sticking here too. I guess I needed this.” 

“I’ll admit, I don’t really understand why you’d wanna isolate yourself when you’re upset.” Kai added. “But dammit, I’m not gonna be the reason you do that to yourself anymore.”

“No, wait. It’s not like that.” Cole shook his head. His hand went to rub his cheek, then flinched at the gauze and dipped to his collarbone. “I have been talking… to someone. Zane’s been, well, I started talking with him and then we… we went to that festival together and we said some things and… now we’re together.” 

The spikey haired teen nodded, lips pressed together as his hands fidgeted. “Still, how come you didn’t come back immediately? Did you lose track of time?”

“That and… I kinda didn’t want to.” Cole gave a wistful smile. “Just being around Zane feels calming. And no offense, but you guys are the complete opposite.” 

“Crap, okay. I can try to work on that.” Kai promised. “Can’t speak for Jay though.”

The earth ninja just sighed. “I’m not surprised. But really, I know I said it before, but thanks for this.” 

Whatever invisible barrier had been between them was now gone. Kai wore a half-smirk. “So, if you haven’t been holled up in some crack in the mountain side, what’ve you been up to with Zane?” 

Cole did laugh, but shook his head. “I’d rather not talk about that.”

“Shit, right, sorry.” Kai scratched the back of his neck. “But just so you know, I don’t really care if you’re into guys. Is there any way to get a letter to him? He’ll probably be worried if you can’t meet up with him.”

“No, he doesn’t have an address.” Cole confessed. 

“Okay, maybe I could leave something by the foot of the mountain? Or I could cover for you while you sneak out and tell Zane what happened?” 

“You’d do that?”

“Yea. Why not?”

Cole was surprised. “I mean, you set me on fire yesterday and now you’re helping me sneak out to meet with my boyfriend.”

“Oh god, don’t remind me of that.” Kai pulled at his hair. “I’m sorry, I was being serious when I said that, I was acting like a dick.”

“Who’s to say you aren’t always a dick?”

“I’m trying, asshole!”

Kai shoved at his shoulder but Cole refused to budge. The two shared a soft laugh, Cole rubbed at his sore throat and temples. Exhaustion was sitting deep in his bones, even with all the extra sleep.

“Wait a sec, lemme get you some more tea before you conk out again.” Kai offered. “So, when do we bust you outta here?”

“I want to say right now.” Cole said honestly. “But we’d definitely be caught. We’d have to wait for this storm to pass at least. Then two days after that, maybe more.”

The idea of Zane being isolated for that long made Cole want to cry again. Sensing this somehow, Kai gave a wordless nod, took the cup and left to grab more tea.

At least now, he had a small moment to let the cascade of emotions pour themselves out. Cole grabbed a pillow and buried his face into it. He muffled his tears and failed to stop himself from imagining just how scared Zane must’ve been.

He knew the cryptid wasn’t to blame, he had more control than that. Thinking back to the festival, he never did get a chance to change his clothes after he fell into the water. 

“You’re such a coward.” Cole told himself.

He just prayed that Kai’s help would be enough to get past their Sensei. A burning anger followed that though. He knew what the old man was trying to imply and Cole blamed his assumptions on his own actions. 

The teen wanted to fall asleep again and escape back to the waterfall. But he held out long enough for Kai to return, this time with two cups of steaming tea. 

“It’s probably too hot.” He cautioned, despite holding the mugs with his bare hands. “You liked honey, right? I know Nya does.”

“Yea, thanks.” Cole nodded. 

Kai tried to offer some more stories from his childhood, but Cole simply shook his head.

“You don’t have to play it up, I know your life was probably a lot harder than mine.” He said. “And… if I’m being honest, I’d appreciate the quiet. You being here is enough.”

“Oh, I mean, are you sure?”

Cole nodded, taking another slow sip of his tea. This wasn’t his and Zanes snow-coated cave under the mountain, but this still felt nice. He yawned halfway through his tea and set it aside. 

“Get some sleep, is it alright if I check up on you every few hours? Kinda an old habit.” Kai asked.

“Sure.” Cole pulled his blankets up, then hesitated, “but keep Wu out if you can.” 

“Got it.” He muttered something under his breath.

“Huh?”

“I said it’s not fair if he won’t at least let you leave to tell your boyfriend what’s going on. Should we try asking him?” 

Cole though for a moment. “Maybe. But I… I don’t know if he’s even willing to change his mind.”

“Don’t worry. If that Birch-Blizzard thing even get close to you I’ll kick its ass.” Kai gave a salute before closing the door behind him. 

The teen gave one last small smile before lying under the covers. The heat building up felt cloying, eventually he ended up kicking most of the sheets onto the floor as he tossed around before finally falling into a dreamless sleep. 

**::::**

Zane watched Cole as he slept. His face is so peaceful, his smile like a sunset. The trickling light from the sun fell like a halo around them, the snow that settled acting as clouds for their shared slice of the sky. 

He traces small lines down his face, letting fractals of frost spread down his cheek and chest. Cole leaned further into his touch. Zane sighed wistfully against his ear, purring against him and settling his hands across his shoulders. He could feel Cole smile.

Zanes hands twitched over dark hands, intertwining them together and massaging his warm fingers. He closed his eyes and laid across his chest, the warmth pleasant and so, so familiar.

He hummed as he felt Cole’s fingers twitch even as he slept. 

The warmth from his hands felt odd, Zane furrowed his eyebrow and held the back of his hands to the humans cheek. He was shaking and as he brushed away the frost, there was a rosy, waxy shine to his skin. 

“C _o_ -ole?”

The teen’s mouth was locked in a soft smile, but his hands no longer radiated their aura of heat. Zane’s eyes went wide. He pressed both hands against his cheeks and all he could feel was a lukewarm sensation. 

“C-co- _ol-le_?” 

Where his hands framed his face, dark tendrils of ice began to snake down his cheek and neck. Zane gave a broken, clicking sound of shock and immediately threw himself off the human. 

Cole’s shivering was even more prominent, his arms now pressed tight against his sides and legs curling inward. Zane grabbed at his hair and face, more and more spiderwebs of blackened ice weaving across him.

The winds around them began to howl. Another screech cut through the air before Zane froze his mouth shut. He looked up the mountain. He could see no one nearby. 

Zane looked down at his hands, then to Cole. He closed his eyes, forced his body to calm just long enough to save his love. Gathering the human in his arms, he stepped outside the cave and shot upward on a jet of ice. 

Snow and sleet began to tear at the mountainside. Zane rushed Cole to the doors of the Monastery, nearly tripping over the weight of the now near-frozen human. Dense layers of dark frost clung to his entire body. At some point, he’d stopped shaking. 

Zane laid him carefully at the foot of the looming doors. Fear tore at his insides and he was stuck between knocking and hoping he could escape in time, or pray his teammates would find Cole. 

Instinct told him to hide. Zane jumped back down on his pillar of ice just as the door creaked open. The same old man from last night caught a glimpse of his eyes before he disappeared. 

“Cole!”

Zane wanted to stay and watch, to be sure that his love would be safe. But more footsteps drove him back. Hail was beginning to swirl around him and as he stumbled back into the cavern, he left shards of ice with each step. 

He fell to his knees over the small ‘bedroom’ Cole had made for him. Zane reached out with frozen hands to brush over the net Cole hadn’t had a chance to wear. Ice began to fuse him to the floor of the cave. 

Zane bowed his head, holding the fabric to his lips and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been on the angst train this week haven't I?


End file.
